Cohort Differences in Self-Objectification

Abstract Sexual objectification socializes women to engage in self-objectification—the tendency to view one’s body as an object to be used by others and evaluating one’s value in terms of attractiveness to others (Noll & Fredrickson, 1998)—and leads to negative psychological consequences. As women age, their bodies move further away from the thin ideal (Guo, Zeller, Chumlea, & Siervogel; 1999) potentially making them more susceptible to body i concerns and dissatisfaction. However, may also begin using selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) strategies, countering the impacts of sexual objectification, and promoting successful aging. We compared self-objectification between women in early adulthood (N = 132, M = 20.93) and women in late middle age or late adulthood (N = 86, M = 67.83). Results showed that older women had significantly lower levels of self-objectification than younger women. Our findings support the idea the SOC strategies protect against the consequences of sexual objectification.

The life course perspective emphasizes social structure, personal agency, and their interdependencies (Settersten et al., 2020), serving as the theoretical framework for this study. Given stereotypical societal views of gender and aging (e.g., Sontag, 1979), physical aging is often the focus when examining women's aging attitudes and concomitant changes in a sense of personal identity. Additionally, studies of midlife women have found relationships between age and identity (e.g., Stewart et al., 2001). Using quantitative and qualitative data, the present study examines associations between age, personal identity, and attitudes to physical, psychological and social aging in older Canadian women (N = 190,Mage = 70.38). Results show that while attitudes to physical aging contribute to identity maintenance, attitudes to social and psychological aging are also important for older women's identity maintenance. Interactions between age and attitudes to aging associated with personal identity are discussed with reference to the life course perspective.

COHORT DIFFERENCES IN WELL-BEING AMONG MIDLIFE AND OLDER WOMEN: ROLE OF SELF-PERCEPTIONS OF AGING Lindsay Ryan, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
The current study examines how cohort differences across two age-matched groups of midlife and older women from the Health and Retirement Study are associated with well-being and self-perceptions of aging (SPA). Women aged 51-60 (n=2318) and 61-70 (n=1650) were selected from the 2008 and 2018 waves. No significant cohort differences were identified for life satisfaction (Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin, 1985) or positive SPA (Lawton, 1975;Liang & Bollen, 1983). The 2008 cohort of midlife women reported significantly higher negative SPA compared to 2018 (p<.05). Linear regression analyses find that cohort and SPA are significantly associated with life satisfaction in both age groups, and that the association of negative SPA differs by cohort for the midlife women (p<.01). Implications are discussed within the life course developmental framework.

COHORT DIFFERENCES IN SELF-OBJECTIFICATION Sydney Tran, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States
Sexual objectification socializes women to engage in selfobjectification-the tendency to view one's body as an object to be used by others and evaluating one's value in terms of attractiveness to others (Noll & Fredrickson, 1998)-and leads to negative psychological consequences. As women age, their bodies move further away from the thin ideal (Guo, Zeller, Chumlea, & Siervogel; 1999) potentially making them more susceptible to body i concerns and dissatisfaction. However, may also begin using selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) strategies, countering the impacts of sexual objectification, and promoting successful aging. We compared self-objectification between women in early adulthood (N = 132, M = 20.93) and women in late middle age or late adulthood (N = 86, M = 67.83). Results showed that older women had significantly lower levels of self-objectification than younger women. Our findings support the idea the SOC strategies protect against the consequences of sexual objectification.

COVID-19 IN ASSISTED LIVING: EVIDENCE ON POLICIES, PROVIDER EXPERIENCES, AND RESIDENT MORTALITY
Chair: Kali Thomas Discussant: Lindsay Schwartz The devastating effects of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among older adults residing in long-term care settings has been well documented. Assisted living settings in the U.S. have 811,000 residents; most are 80 years or older, and many have one or more chronic illnesses, making them highly susceptible to poor outcomes if exposed to COVID-19. This symposium highlights five studies that focus on various levels of COVID-19 response in assisted living: national organizations, states, assisted living operators and healthcare providers, and residents. The first study compares the sometimes conflicting guidance provided by national long-term care industry-related organizations and recommends assisted living-specific actions for the future. The second study describes the state regulatory response to COVID-19 in assisted living, identifying the themes and implications for the function of the care networks of assisted living residents. The third study presents findings from interviews with key stakeholders, including policymakers and industry leaders, that reflect on the challenges responding to changing recommendations and policies. The fourth study reports results from a survey with administrators and medical and mental health care providers who treat their residents that illustrates the care practices that were implemented in response to COVID-19 in assisted living. The fifth presentation documents the national excess assisted living resident mortality that was attributable to COVID-19. This symposium culminates with a leading assisted living industry expert reflecting on providers' experiences and posing areas to consider when preparing for and responding to future pandemic events in assisted living settings.

COVID-19 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ASSISTED LIVING: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FUTURE
Andrew Vipperman, 1 Sheryl Zimmerman, 2 and Philip Sloane, 3 1. University of Virginia,Charlottesville,Virginia,United States,2. Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research,Chapel Hill,North Carolina,United States,3. UNC Medical School,Sheps Center,Chapel Hill,North Carolina,United States Similar to nursing homes, COVID-19 has challenged assisted living (AL), given its congregate nature and vulnerable residents. However, COVID-19 recommendations have not consistently recognized differences between nursing homes and AL, and in so doing present implications for the future of AL. This project examined COVID-19 recommendations from six key organizations and compared them across nursing homes and AL. Differences include recommending more flexible visitation and group activities for AL, while similarities suggest that AL may best integrate health care into offered services (e.g., work with consulting clinicians who know residents and the AL community). Primary points to be discussed are that COVID-19 may accelerate the closer coordination of social work and medical care into AL, because recommendations suggest AL would benefit from the services and expertise of nurses, social workers, and physicians. There seems to be an unmet need to mitigate loneliness in AL, which warrants specific attention moving forward. This paper describes a qualitative content analysis of assisted living emergency rules, revised regulations, and executive orders responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Using key search terms, we identified 36 states that enacted policies between February and October 2020. The following themes occurred most frequently: testing, infection control, access restrictions, suspension of requirements, and reporting. The convoys of care model recognizes internal, external, formal, and informal caregivers as essential members of an AL resident's care network. We found that non-staff care providers, including external formal caregivers (e.g. home health and hospice) and informal caregivers (e.g. family), were most often addressed in policies limiting access. Informal caregivers were the least often specifically addressed in these policies. Given the importance of these network members in the AL context, these policies have implications for the wellbeing of the resident and care network.